In what’s quickly becoming an unwelcome mini-trend, the New York Times reports that a growing number of U.S.-Israel flights are being delayed by ultra-Orthodox Jewish men who refuse to sit next to women. They always seem to demand that the women switch seats, while they stay put. Wonder why that might be.
Stories of haredi men refusing to sit next to women on planes aren’t a new phenomenon, of course, with the ostensible reason being that Jewish law forbids them to touch a woman who’s not a family member. Nor is bizarre behavior on flights to Israel, like the guy who encased himself in a giant plastic bag, possibly to avoid contamination when flying over cemeteries. But as the Times story points out, the anecdotal evidence suggests that “the number of episodes seem to be increasing as ultra-Orthodox communities grow in number and confidence,” but also as female travelers push back against these requests. A couple women told the Times they had refused to switch seats; one male traveler said an Orthodox man “stood in the aisle, refusing to move” when he was placed next to a woman. Finally, another traveler agreed to switch seat so the plane could leave.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
